This year, we celebrated Jürgen's birthday at Playa Forti. I wouldn't be so crass as to reveal how old he was turning, but please let me reiterate that this birthday celebration was at Playa Forti. It was a wonderful spot to spend the morning, swim, snorkel... and to mourn the loss of fleeting youth.
Of all Curaçao's former Dutch fortresses, our favorite was destined to be Fort Nassau. Fort Amsterdam might have the most fascinating history and Fort Beekenburg the coolest atmosphere... but Fort Nassau has the food nailed down. And food beats history or atmosphere every time.
The region north of Saint Joris Bay goes by the intriguing name of Koraal Tabak. "Tobacco Coral"? What could that mean? It was a mystery, and so when we learned about a hike in the area, we had to check it out. Spoiler: there was no tobacco.
We had such a fun time diving with Scubacao, that we would have liked to get back into the water the very next day. However, Curaçao has a lot more to offer than scuba diving, so we forced ourselves to be patient. But after a month, we could wait no more. So we called up Anton and Marc, and were soon rumbling in Scubacao's truck toward Directorsbaai.
One of Curaçao's four historic districts, Pietermaai Smal lays just to the east of Punda, between the Waaigat Harbor and the Caribbean. Once the most exclusive neighborhood on the island, Pietermaai endured a long, painful period of deterioration. But recently, it's picked itself back up and become a home to the island's trendiest clubs and restaurants, and its most popular boutique hotels.
In the rolling, undeveloped hills to the west of St. Martha's Bay, we completed a long hike through the woods to a few isolated coves, including Boka Pos Spanjo and Boka Hulu. This same trail passes by both the Blue Room and Santu Pretu, but unless you're prepared for a very long day, you'll have to pick and choose which beaches you stop at.
Laying along the side of the Koraalspechtweg road, near the Jan Thiel Salt Flats, is the rotting carcass of an abandoned airplane. We had driven by it a number of times, always imagining how much fun it would be to explore the wreckage. And then we realized, there was nothing preventing us from doing exactly that.
I don't know where these guys get the energy from. Just two days after completing the Grand Parade, an alcohol- and Tumba-fueled procession which lasts over nine hours, they're back out on the streets dancing and partying for Carnival's Grand Farewell Parade. I was nearly unable to endure it, myself, and that was as a spectator!
A popular walking path connects the neighborhood of Otrobanda to Piscadera, up the coast to the north. We regularly drive by this path, and always see people walking their dogs or jogging on it. So we decided to join them on an otherwise lazy Saturday afternoon, for a much-needed spot of exercise.
We've been up in a Cessna, floated in a hot-air balloon, and even tried out paragliding, but neither Jürgen nor I had ever been in a helicopter. With colorful towns and diverse nature packed into a small area and framed by clear Caribbean waters, Curaçao is a perfect candidate for a helicopter tour. So we were thrilled when Blue Skies invited us on a trip around the island's eastern coast.
